The University of Alabama is the place Where Legends Are Made. From the moment a student steps on campus to the moment they cross the stage at graduation, they have the unique opportunity to do incredible things. The only wasted opportunity is the one not taken. This is the legacy that soon-to-be graduate Reed Fowler wishes to leave for future students at the Capstone.
Born and raised in Everett, Washington, Fowler finished high school at the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Like many, his final years of high school were unprecedented and non-traditional, but he wanted more for his college experience.
“I decided to go to Alabama because I wanted a more traditional college experience,” says Fowler. “Then I got here and I decided, ‘No, I want an exceptional college experience.’”
It was this desire that spurred his decision not only to move across the country to attend UA but also to make the most of the time he had here. Fowler is a biology and communication double major with a self-designed minor through the New College called Interdisciplinary Studies in Data Acquisition and Management. He excels in his academics and is highly involved on campus as a member of The University of Alabama Spirit Squad, a researcher through the Emerging Scholars Program, a consultant at the Speaking Studio, and president of the Alabama Ballroom Dance Team.
However, it is his journey at UA that he hopes will be his legacy.
Academic Adventures
Fowler started as a biology major with plans to add chemistry as a second major. He recalls spending the summer before his freshman year meticulously planning every class he would take for the next four years in a little notebook given to him by his high school theatre teacher. However, upon arriving at the Capstone, things did not go quite as planned.
“I met with my advisor, and she suggested that I should maybe try taking a chemistry class before declaring it as a major. So, I did, and I decided that chemistry was not for me,” Fowler said with a laugh.
So, without chemistry to fill his time, Fowler needed something else. He had an interest in taking classes in leadership, influence and other topics associated with social psychology. This led him to a brief stint with a minor in civic engagement and leadership before being told it was mostly for students in the ROTC program. With no interest in military science, Fowler was again on the hunt for another area of academic pursuit. That was before he realized that the classes that most interested him in civic engagement and leadership were communications classes. So, he decided to try public speaking in the spring of his freshman year and found his new passion — one that was vastly different from chemistry.
Fowler said the thing he loves the most about his two majors is how they differ from one another. Where biology is information-based, communication is about the discovery.
“In biology, the information transfer is one way; the professor explains things to you, you take your notes, and you learn things. It is interesting, and I love it, but in communications, you engage with others and create something in the class that you cannot experience anywhere else.”
Finding His Niche
Discovering his love for communication studies was just one outcome of Fowler’s refusal to limit himself as he created a college experience that was entirely his own. Upon arriving on campus as a freshman, Fowler was determined to throw himself entirely into — well, everything. Fowler has committed himself to taking advantage of every opportunity the University of Alabama has to offer.
“I remember walking around freshman year at Get On Board Day,” Fowler says. “I signed up for so many things because I was like ‘One of these things is going to be my thing,’ and it ended up being ballroom dancing.”
Do not limit yourself. If there is something you want to do, just do it and see where it goes from there. The only waste of time would be to not try something while you are here.
Fowler cites others’ passion for their hobbies as his inspiration for finding his own. He said in high school, he wished he could say he had been doing something for several years, like many others.
“I did not start anything when I was young, and anything I tried, I did not stick with.”
Instead of thinking it was too late, he decided to start in college.
“I had a five-year scholarship, so I knew I was going to spend five years here. I wanted to start something my freshman year so that five years later, I would be the person saying, ‘Yeah, I have been ballroom dancing for five years.’” Fowler said he hopes his passion for ballroom dancing will inspire others to try something they have always wanted to.
“That is the thing about niche hobbies,” Fowler said. “When you are passionate about something, other people love that. It does not matter what it is.”
Route to Research
Fowler’s commitment to his interests has also driven his research through the Emerging Scholars Program, which he joined in the spring of his freshman year. The two-semester program teaches students what it means to do research and how to develop a research proposal. Usually, students take a class during the first semester, conduct research during the second, and are done. However, Fowler said, “The dream is that you continue with it.”
Fowler began his research during the fall of his sophomore year and has continued with it ever since. Along with Dr. Kevin Kocot, Fowler has been conducting a process called DNA Bbrcoding in which he analyzes DNA samples from deep-sea worms called Paramphinome jeffreysii in the North Atlantic Ocean to determine if they are all the same species.
“It is really interesting because it can tell us if maybe there is an undescribed species found there, or even if they are all the same, why are they so prolific? Why are they so widespread? What does that tell us about the ocean currents and the typography of the ground?” Fowler said.
Now, Fowler is in the final phases of his research as he sends off the last few samples and prepares to write a paper that will hopefully be peer-reviewed and published — a position he would not have imagined himself in as an 18-year-old visiting UA for the first time.
Joining the Legacy
Being a part of the University of Alabama means being a part of a legacy of excellence. Most do not step foot on campus knowing what their legacy will be, and that is a beautiful thing. The capstone offers students the opportunity to learn and grow beyond their academic pursuits in a way that Fowler says is different from anywhere else.
“You can go to any university and join a bunch of clubs, be on a bunch of boards, hold executive positions, and whatever,” Fowler says, but when asked about his proudest moment on campus, he states his time on the Spirit Squad. “Being a part of the Alabama Athletics legacy and what it means to be an Alabama fan — it felt like joining something already in progress and being a part of something bigger.”
The University of Alabama offers many resources to help guide students through this pivotal time in their lives. Fowler encourages them to take full advantage of everything UA has to offer. Fowler said simply that he wants to inspire future Alabama students to pursue their highest potential.
Being a part of the Alabama Athletics legacy and what it means to be an Alabama fan — it felt like joining something already in progress and being a part of something bigger.
“I want people to try everything. This is the perfect environment to try something out,” Fowler said. “Do not miss out on any opportunities because you never know when you might get them again, and you never know where they could lead you.”
Lastly, Fowler wants students to know that it is never too late to try something new, learn a new skill, or find a new hobby.
“Do not limit yourself. If there is something you want to do, just do it and see where it goes from there,” Fowler imparts, “The only waste of time would be to not try something while you are here. How can you know that you like what you are doing if you have not tried something that you do not?”